Again, the reason they have opioid maintenance programs is mainly to control phsycial withdraw symptoms and at the same time making one's life more stable and productive without having to worry about it affecting they're everyday lives. It is known widespread that opiate withdrawal is not life threatening. Two examples of drugs that are life threatening during withdrawal are benzodiazepines and alcohol. I don't believe it is appropriate to throw out there in the public that opiate withdrawal is life threatening, because it is not. I'm sure there are rare cases of it, but ones physical health and other factors need to be included that may have caused death. Maintenance programs for opiate addictions are here today , and are NOT promoted to avoid death or hospitalization from withdrawal, they are promoted to enhance one addicts quality of life, provide more stability for them and they're cravings and the non life threatening physical withdrawal symptoms, as well as pain management. 3 drugs that cause life threatening withdrawal symptoms are: alcohol, benzos, barbiturates. Hands down.
